


jagged edges

by freedomatsea



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cunnilingus, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 13:25:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18661303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/freedomatsea/pseuds/freedomatsea
Summary: Beth makes a startling realization a few weeks following her bathroom encounter with Rio. Set after 2x04 (but before 2x05).





	jagged edges

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this while I was working on 'a messy situation' and FINALLY finished it. Thank you to the lovely Brio gc girls who read this, betad, and encouraged me!

Beth  _ knew _ . Deep down, she knew. She woke up on a Tuesday morning and she felt  _ different _ . It was hard to put her finger on the precise description of that sensation. It was a feeling that she had felt four times before… and a few times more, if she counted the times that the feeling didn’t stick around for very long. 

It was still  _ just _ a Tuesday morning, so she got up, slipped on her house shoes, put breakfast on the table and lunch boxes into little hands. 

“You okay?” Dean questioned, his brows drawing together as he caught Beth standing with the refrigerator door open and a far-off stare.

“Yeah!” Beth said with a chipper voice, snapping out of her thoughts. “I just realized I forgot to schedule Jane’s orthodontist appointment.” It was an easy line, because she  _ had _ forgotten to schedule it. 

“I’ll have to mark  _ that _ on the calendar.” Dean retorted with a chuckle. “You never forget to schedule those things.” 

“Kenny’s appointments have thrown my schedule off.” Beth explained as she shut the fridge door. 

“ _ Right _ .” Dean said with a shrug, preoccupied with whatever he was reading on his phone. 

Beth grabbed her car keys off the counter and shooed the children to the car, with a warning that they were going to be late if they didn’t hurry up. In reality, she was already thinking about the next stop. The drugstore. Aisle 5. 

She  _ knew _ . But she wanted proof. She needed proof. 

The cashier offered Beth a sympathetic smile as she rang up the pregnancy test. Beth wasn’t even sure what the woman said to her… paper or plastic? Some useless story about her own mid-life baby? It was just white noise. She plastered a smile to her face and gritted her teeth.

Beth didn’t look at the test for two hours after she took it. In that time, she vacuumed the entire house, cleaned out the refrigerator, and loaded the dishwasher. She rehearsed what she was going to say the entire time. To the kids. To Dean. To Annie. To Ruby. To Rio. 

It was positive. Of course it was positive. She had known from the moment she woke up that it would be  _ positive _ . She knew that feeling all too well. She was pregnant. 

How was she going to tell him? Just when things were finally picking up. The dealership was turning over the money, the Feds had gone after Mary Pat, and things with Rio were at a good place. A  _ really _ good place. 

Fuck it. She’d just tell him to come to the house. There was still a good four hours before she had to pick up the kids from school. 

“I thought you kept me as a  _ bathroom break _ ,” Rio remarked as he strolled through her kitchen, plucking an apple out of the bowl on the counter, like he owned the place. “Not that I’m complaining about the change of venue.” His cocksure demeanor fell away when he saw the look on her face. 

“You might want to sit down.” Beth suggested. 

Rio clicked his tongue against his teeth and rolled his shoulders casually. “ _ Alright _ .” His eyes raked over her as he jerked his head in the direction of her sofa in the family room. “I’m gettin’ the sense that this ain’t a booty call.” 

Beth laughed sharply and followed him into the family room. “It’s related to one.” They hadn’t been careful. Not even a little bit. The first time had been entirely unplanned. The second time, in the same bar, before Annie and Ruby had shown up had… been  _ expected _ . They had been stupid.  _ She _ had been stupid. 

He ran his thumb over his bottom lip as he studied her. She could feel her skin blush under his calculated gaze. Could he tell? She had always wondered if there was some way that men  _ knew _ when a woman was pregnant. Was there some shift in the way that they stood? In the way that they moved? Could he tell that it was his?

“Rio…” Beth started as she stood in front of the sofa. God, she hadn’t expected how difficult this conversation would be. It wasn’t like he was just some casual fuck. Part of her wished he had been. It would’ve been so much easier. 

Rio leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his palm. The look on his face had shifted from calculated curiosity, to a sort of admiration that made her heart flutter. When had Dean  _ ever _ looked at her like that? She could count on one hand the number of times someone had looked at her like was the motherfucking Queen of the world… and all five times it was Rio. 

“I’m pregnant.” She blurted out. Not at all how she’d planned it. Not even close. 

“ _ What _ ?” Rio countered, his jaw going slack as his gaze dropped to her mid-section and she passed her hand in front of the space in response. “Is it…?” 

Beth’s lashes fluttered and she couldn’t help the laughter that escaped from her then. “There is literally no other option but  _ you _ .” 

“You  _ are _ married.” Rio reminded her with a disdainful sniff. He was still staring at her stomach. 

“Don’t even.” Beth gritted out. “You ended a nearly six year drought.” Her shoulders sank under the weight of her confession. “What do you want to do?”

Rio didn’t respond immediately. He took his time to stand up, slink around the coffee table, and stop directly in front of her. “What do  _ you _ want to do?” He met her gaze and held it. “You’re still married… Michigan don’t give a shit what I gotta say.” 

Beth couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. She dropped her head, staring at her hand as she pressed it against her stomach. “I didn’t even think about that.” Michigan didn’t care about the rights of the biological father if the woman was married. In Michigan’s eyes… this baby was Dean’s. 

“Shit’s fucked up.” Rio gritted out as he looked down at her stomach. “It’s only been three weeks.” 

“My body and the pregnancy test I took says it’s true.” Beth insisted. “I can take another test…” 

“I don’t doubt what you’ve told me, ma.” Rio lifted his gaze to meet hers. “I just meant…”

“ _ Oh _ .” Beth let out a shaky sigh. “Is that what you-”

“No.” Rio answered quickly as he rose to his feet and slinked around the coffee table. His eyes were fixed on her stomach and he started to reach out to touch her before he stopped himself. “It’s up to you.” He said defeatedly, meeting her eyes. 

“I want to keep it.” She said quietly, reaching out to take his hand and placing it on her stomach. “I don’t care about the stupid law. This baby is yours, Rio.” 

Rio slid his hand from her stomach, slipping it around to the small of her back as he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. “This baby is  _ ours _ .” He mumbled as he pressed his lips to the crook of her neck. 

Beth held onto him tightly, leaning against him, using him for support. She had thought she could do it alone. She had been prepared to do it alone. All morning she’d imagined a scenario where Rio ran away from this. Their  _ partnership _ had such sharp, jagged edges. It had been hard and rough and and devoid of anything that made it real. 

“You gonna tell carman?” Rio questioned as he pulled back from the embrace just enough to look at her.

“I have to.” Beth bit down on her bottom lip, her brows pinched together. “And I have to get a divorce…” She lifted her hand to rub at her forehead. “Should I wait until after the divorce goes through to tell him?  _ Wait _ … I don’t have to tell him. It has nothing to do with him.” Would Michigan still try to claim that Dean was the father? This was a fucking nightmare. 

“Whatchu want me to do?” Rio questioned, brushing his knuckles against her cheek as he looked at her with utter adoration. She felt like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She had been dissociating all morning and now it was  _ real _ . There was a tiny little part of Rio growing inside of her. 

“How involved do you  _ want _ to be?” Beth questioned, drawing in an entirely too shaky breath. 

Rio cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb over the rise of her cheekbone. “ _ Fully _ .” He whispered, before he leaned in and kissed her gently. It was a brief kiss, one that Beth wished she could hold onto. But he pulled back almost as soon as it started. “Does your sister know?” 

Beth’s lashes fluttered as she looked at him. She shook her head slowly as she chewed on her bottom lip. “You’re the first person I’ve told.” 

“Keep it quiet for now, yea?” Rio brushed his fingers over her stomach. “We got shit to work out before we let this one out.”

She nodded. “I can’t even imagine how Annie will take this news.” Beth pulled away from Rio, her fingers combing through her hair. “You should’ve seen the way they looked at me when they realized you and I were  _ involved _ .” 

“Easy ma.” Rio came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. “We got this. We’re gonna make this work.” 

* * *

Beth hadn’t been prepared for how involved Rio was ready to be. With Dean, he hadn’t really seemed  _ interested _ in her pregnancies, outside of the chauvinistic pride of showing her off around his friends like - ‘ _ look what I did _ ’. Rio wasn’t like that. Rio wasn’t like Dean at all. 

Rio was with her at her first doctor’s appointment. She was careful to go a clinic outside of her insurance policy, two towns over, and Rio paid for the appointment. To the doctor, they were nothing more than a couple anxiously awaiting news about their first pregnancy together. It was nothing more than a blood test to reconfirm that she  _ was _ in fact pregnant. He was there for the second appointment at eight weeks, where they put jelly on her belly and confirmed that there was a little heartbeat inside of her.

There was a light in his eyes that sometimes stole her breath. He was excited. Genuinely  _ excited _ about being a father again. It tempered the panic that clawed at her sometimes. 

* * *

Her jeans started getting snug at the thirteenth week so she switched to wearing dresses, even though winter was fast approaching. Annie seemed  _ suspicious _ . Beth had no good reason for losing her taste in sensible black pants at the dealership and mom jeans at home. And just to get a rise out of her, Annie had suggested that the dresses meant she was getting  _ back _ with Dean. 

“When am I gonna be able to show up and not have to wait out here until carman goes to sleep?” Rio questioned Beth from where he was perched on the picnic table, his jaw clenched tightly.

Beth approached him, her hand brushing over her stomach instinctively. “ _ Soon _ .” She hadn’t found the words to tell Dean, yet. She didn’t owe him anything, but for the sake of the children she had with him, she was trying to find a way to make it as painless as possible. She had already attempted to separate from him, but then he’d played the fake cancer card, and she just hadn’t had the energy to kick him out in that intervening time. Especially not now. 

Rio rubbed his thumb over his bottom lip, looking away. “This shit’s  _ bullshit _ , Elizabeth.” 

“I’m trying.” Beth sighed heavily. “But I’m relying on him to take care of the kids, while I manage Boland Motors.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “I don’t want him to retaliate.” 

He shrugged a shoulder, “Yea, I know.” Rio turned his head to look at her again. “I just hate this shit.” His gaze fell to her stomach as she approached him slowly. “You look good today,  _ mama _ .” 

Beth rested her hands on his knees, her eyes meeting his. “Thank you.” She whispered, leaning forward as Rio brushed her hair behind her ear and leaned in to kiss her. She lifted one of her hands to rest on his shoulder, tilting her head as she sank into the kiss. Rio slipped his hand in between her winter coat and her dress, curling his hand around her hip. 

The porch light came on and they both froze. Beth stepped back quickly, putting distance between them as the back door slid open and Dean emerged. “What’s going on out here?”

“Nothin’ that concerns you carman.” Rio snapped, running his thumb over his bottom lip as his gaze flickered towards Beth. 

“Go back to bed, Dean.” Beth crossed her arms across her chest. 

“I think I’ll stay right here.” Dean said, glaring at Rio. “What are  _ you _ doing here?”

Rio sniffed, keeping his eyes on Beth. “Talkin’ to the boss. Which is why you ain’t needed.” 

Beth shot Rio a look. “ _ Stop _ .” She turned her attention back to Dean. “Please just go back inside, Dean. It’ll only be a few more minutes.”

“You heard her,  _ carman _ .” Rio added, smirking as Beth turned to look at him again. “Run along.”

Dean glared at Beth. “I want to know what’s going on. I have the  _ right _ to know.” His eyes flickered between Beth and Rio, before his gaze settled on Beth’s stomach, where her hand had come to rest. “Are you kidding me?”

Rio clapped his hands together as he got off the picnic table, moving to stand far too close to Beth. “I think your carman just put two and two together and got  _ three _ .” He said lowly, his hand brushing over the smaller of her back. “We’ll talk later.”

“You’re  _ leaving _ ?” Beth forgot about Dean momentarily, turning around to look at him. “You can’t just throw this in my lap and leave.”

“Shoulda handled it sooner.” Rio quirked a brow, his eyes flickering downwards to her stomach. “How  _ are _ you doin’?”

Beth looked up at him, “Why are you doing this?” She questioned, her hands itching to reach out for him. But she could see Dean in her peripheral, fuming. “Just get out of here.”

Rio flashed her a genuine smile, “You tryin’ to protect me from  _ him _ ?” He turned to look at Dean as he started to approach them. “Look man, I ain’t lookin’ for trouble.”

“Maybe I am.” Dean reared back, swinging a punch, but Rio grabbed his fist and lowered it. 

“Nah, this ain’t happenin’.” Rio told him through gritted teeth, squaring off with Dean. “Run back inside, little man.  _ None _ of this concerns you.”

“She’s my  _ wife _ .” He insisted, stomping his foot as his voice cracked on ‘wife’. 

It was pathetic and Beth wondered what she’d ever even seen in Dean before. 

Beth pulled Rio back, not wanting him to start a scene that might prompt Dean to do something stupid like call the cops. “Please, don’t do this.”

Rio gave a sharp nod of his head. “Yea, Whatever you want.” He glared at Dean, before turning his head to look at Beth. “You want me to stick around or are ya good?”

“Just wait here and let me handle this.” Beth whispered to Rio. Now she had no choice. Dean was seething with the conclusion he had accurately jumped to. It wasn’t just a secret between her and Rio anymore. She would have to tell Annie and Ruby. God, they’d never look at her the same. They’d already been giving her judgmental looks and snide comments over fucking Rio to begin with. This would be the icing on the cake.

Beth turned to Dean, trying to soften her expression. “Let’s talk inside. I’m cold.” She nodded her head towards the house, before she headed in that direction. She could hear Dean’s footsteps behind her, the slow trudging steps on crunchy fall leaves.

Dean shut the sliding door behind him and drew the curtains shut. Like he thought  _ that _ would keep Rio out. “You owe me an explanation.”

“I don’t  _ owe _ you anything,” Beth snapped and she stood a little taller. “But I  _ am _ going to tell you.” She crosses her arms across her chest, dropping her gaze to the floor as she tried to find the right words. 

Dean had found his. “What do you  _ see _ in him? He’s a criminal Beth! He’s probably killed people.”

Beth laughed. If only he  _ knew _ . 

“It’s not funny!” Dean snarled, turning his back as he paced the kitchen. “Did you  _ fuck _ him?”

Her expression faltered, “You and I are separated.”

“Did you fuck him?”

“Yes.” Beth chewed on her bottom lip, nodding her head slowly. 

Dean let out a pitiful sound of disappointment. “Why, Beth? Was it to get even at me? Was that what this was?” But his gaze flickered to her stomach and she swore he looked like he might faint. “Are you…?”

“Pregnant? Yes.” She covered her stomach with both hands. “It wasn’t like I  _ planned _ for it to happen.” But she hadn’t done a whole lot to prevent it either. 

“Doctor Harper… he can get someone to perform an abortion. Even if it’s too late.” He raked his hands over his face, turning his gaze back to her stomach. He was disgusted. 

Beth took a step backwards, “I’m keeping it.”

“ _ Why?” _ Dean moved towards her, desperately reaching out for her. “Is he making you? Is he holding this against you? Using it? Doctor Harper can make it go away.”

Beth pushed his arms away. “I don’t want your fake cancer doctor anywhere near me.” She snapped. “I’m the one who chose to keep the baby.”

“I don’t understand…” Dean threw his hands up. “I thought things were getting better! You were handling the dealership… I was taking care of  _ our _ children.” 

“It wasn’t like I  _ planned _ for this, Dean.” Beth insisted, keeping space between them. She knew Dean better than to think he might hurt her, but she didn’t exactly trust him anymore either. “But it happened and we’re handling this.” 

“Oh, you’re handling this with  _ him _ i?” Dean scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest as he gave her that patronizing smile he was all too good at offering. “So after Emma… when you said you didn’t want anymore children, that was just a  _ lie _ ?”

“Again, I didn’t plan this.” Beth didn’t back down. “And you  _ really _ don’t get to pass judgement, considering you admitted to fucking some woman while I was pregnant with Janie.” 

“This is  _ not _ the same thing!” Dean shouted. “I didn’t have a child with someone else. And I sure as hell wasn’t fucking some lowlife criminal. Is it the neck tat? Is that what you like?”

Beth rolled her eyes. “It has  _ nothing _ to do with his tattoos.” She looked towards the backyard, wondering if he was still out there watching their silhouettes through the shades. “Rio respects me, Dean.”

“He  _ shot _ me!” Dean snapped, moving towards her again. “What are you going to tell our children, Beth? That mommy decided to fuck the bad guy who shot daddy in the chest?”

“It’s a lot more nuanced than that.” Beth put her hands up, trying to get him to keep his distance. “I want a divorce.”

“You’re divorcing me for  _ him _ ?” He turned away from her thin. “I’m going to kill that son of a bitch.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Beth mumbled under her breath, shaking her head. “I’m divorcing you for a lot of reasons. The cheating, the fake cancer, the fact that I really can’t stand to be around you anymore.”

“I’m not losing the children.” Dean gritted out. “They’re  _ my _ children.”

“You’d have joint custody, Dean.” She shook her head. “But I want you to move out. Go to your mother’s. Go couch surf. Whatever you need to do to find somewhere to live. But I don’t want you here.”

“So,  _ what _ ? He’s just going to waltz into my house like he owns the place?” Dean spat out. “Not fucking likely. He’s already everywhere. My house, my dealership, the kid’s school.” His gaze dropped to her stomach again with disdain. “My wife.”

Beth chose to ignore his words. “You can stay here tonight, but I want you packed up and out tomorrow before the kids get home from school.”

“And what are you going to tell them?”

“That we aren’t living together anymore.” Beth said simply. “There’s no mystery to that.”

“I’m not letting go of you without a fight.”

“ _ Why _ ?” Beth snapped. “You’re looking at me like you think I’m a  _ whore _ or something. I can see it in your eyes. I can practically taste the disgust rolling off you.” She shook her head. “Just let me go, Dean.”

“You’ve made a serious mistake.” He threatened, retreating like the coward he was. “You’re going to see.”

Beth stood in the kitchen for a long time after Dean had already retreated upstairs. Locked into one place, until a knock on the sliding door drew her back into reality. She drew up the blinds, her lips twitching when she saw Rio standing there. 

She pulled open the door a few inches, lingering in the opening as she looked up at Rio. “I told him.”

Rio brushed his fingers over her forehead and down her cheek. “You good?”

Beth shook her head, “I don’t think he’s capable of much, but he’s furious.” Her gaze dropped to his lips and she leaned in to kiss him, wanting to forget about Dean for just a moment. 

Rio pushed the door open wider, snaking an arm around her as he kissed her. His mouth slanted over hers, letting her guide the intensity of it. He pulled back, pressing his forehead against hers. “You tell me what you need.”

“Keep an eye on the house tomorrow.” Beth said as she caught her breath. “I told him he had to be out tomorrow before the kids got home.” She ran her hand over his chest, lifting her gaze to meet his eyes again. “I don’t think he’ll do anything stupid, but eyes on the house might be good.”

Rio scraped his teeth over his bottom lip, nodding his head slowly. “I can do that.” He rested a hand at her hip, drawing her closer. “You good?”

“That wasn’t how I planned to tell him.” Beth told him, her lashes fluttering as he brushed his hand over her stomach. “I have to tell Annie and Ruby now.”

He frowned. “Guess carman ain’t completely dumb.” Rio said quietly, glancing past her into the house. “You sure you’re good?”

Beth hesitated, “Yes.” She chewed on her bottom lip as she nodded her head, trying to reassure herself. “You should go.”

“Sleep well,  _ Elizabeth _ .” Rio told her, his expression softening as he leaned in to kiss her, cradling her cheek, before he was gone. He looked back at her as he headed across her yard, vanishing into the dark treeline.

* * *

Dean moved out. He left while Beth was at work and Rio sat across the street, masked by tinted windows and Dean’s utter ignorance. Rio gave her a full report — he left at two, he had an older guy help him pack, and he filled his car to the point where he couldn’t see out the back window and he nearly took out the mailbox in his haste to leave. 

Beth was relieved to come home to an empty house, save for the children who didn’t ask many questions. She didn’t have to put up a facade anymore. 

Now all she had to do was tell Annie and Ruby. 

“I  _ knew _ it!” Annie clapped her hands together, before she held her hand out to Ruby, wiggling her fingers. “Pay up.”

Ruby grimaced, reaching for her purse and passing Annie a twenty dollar bill. “ _ Sorry _ .”

“You made a bet?” Beth shook her head, her brows pinched together. “Seriously?”

“You tell us you fucked him—” Annie wagged a finger at her. 

“You  _ guessed _ .” Beth reminded her.

“Then you start acting funny.” Annie arched a brow. “Girl’s nights  _ without _ bourbon.” She gave her a sweeping look. “You wore dresses with Jane and Emma.”

“You said you thought I was getting back with Dean.” Beth crossed her arms across her chest and set her jaw hard. 

“I was trying to smoke you out.” 

Ruby held up her hands in mock-defense. “To be clear, I didn’t want to make a bet.”

Annie made a face. “It’s true. She got the default option.” She started at Beth. “I can’t believe I was right.”

“Look, it’s not like we planned for this to happen.” Beth sighed, resting her hand against her stomach. “But we decided to keep it and figure this out.”

“So there is a  _ we _ ?”

“Like, he’s being involved?” Ruby pursed her lips and seemed impressed.

“He’s been very involved.” Beth smiled, “He’s been coming with me when I go to the doctor appointments.” 

“So gangfriend’s a softie, huh?”

Beth shrugged. “I wouldn’t say a  _ softie _ . It’s not like it really changes anything. He’s still who he is, I’m still who I am. We’re still washing cash for him. But he  _ is _ good at the fatherly stuff, surprisingly.”

“He seems like the type.” Ruby said with a thoughtful look. “I mean, did you see him with his kid?”

“Marcus.” Beth said, “That’s his son.”

Annie looked between Beth and Ruby. “I still can’t wrap my head around the idea that you’re having gangfriend’s baby. Like, what the fuck? Wait… are you guys still fucking?”

Beth’s cheeks went pink and a blush spread down her throat and chest. “There’s intimacy, but… no. Not since  _ this _ happened.” She gestured to her stomach. 

“So you’re  _ together _ ?”

“Not really.” Beth bit down on her bottom lip. They hadn’t actually defined what they were. He was around a lot, but they weren’t putting a label to it.

“So you’re not fucking, but you’re being intimate?” Annie arched a brow. “So what? Hand holding and kissing?”

Beth sighed heavily and rubbed at her warm cheeks. “It’s complicated.” 

“Clearly.” Annie sank back on the sofa and crossed her arms across her chest. “How did Dean take the news?”

Beth grimaced. “Not well. But he moved out, so there’s that.”

“Girl, you have just ventured into a  _ whole  _ new world.” Ruby said, her eyes going wide. “Like, oh  _ my _ God.”

“I know.” Beth shrugged. “Trust me, I know.”

* * *

Beth startled as she walked into her bedroom and found Rio lurking in the shadows. “What are you doing here?”

“Wanted to see you.” Rio told her lowly, stepping into a ray of light shining through the window from a streetlight outside. “How’d it go?”

Beth shut the door behind her and locked it, just in case one of the kids attempted to come in. “Better than Dean, that’s for sure.” She admitted as she pulled her sweater off and moved to hang it up in her closet. “Pretty sure they’ll never look at me the same, but…” Beth shrugged. “There’s not much I can do about that.”

“They’ll warm up to the idea.” Rio assured her with a smirk, his eyes following her around the room. 

Beth turned and looked at him, before she moved to step into the stream of light with him. “What is  _ this, _ Rio?”

“You mean me standin’ in your bedroom or…?” 

She laughed a little, shaking her head. “This.” Beth gestured between them. “I know we said we wouldn’t label it, but…”

Rio brushed his fingers over her forehead, trailing them down her cheek, before he cupped her face. “What do you wanna label it?”

“I don’t know.” Beth admitted, leaning into his touch briefly before she pulled back. “We’re going to be in each other’s lives for  _ at least  _ the next eighteen years.”

He flexed his jaw, glancing out the window to his right. “You wanna treat it like a business transaction?”

“No!” Beth said quickly, reaching out to touch his chest, her fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt. “But I  _ need _ to know what this is. Is it just two partners who made a mistake—“

“Was it a  _ mistake _ , Elizabeth?” He questioned, his gaze snapping back to her. 

“It wasn’t.” She assured him. “Inconvenient,  _ yes.  _ But not a mistake.” She ran her hand up from his chest to curl around the side of his neck, her thumb brushing over the tattoo on his skin. “But I need to know. I’m not naive.”

“I know you ain’t.” He ran his tongue along his bottom lip, his eyes raking over face. “What do  _ you _ want this to be?”

Beth let out a shaky sigh. “ _ Something _ ?” She knew it was stupid to want something real with him. As much as she enjoyed the tender side of him that came out when they were at the doctor’s office, when they heard the heartbeat the first time. She knew that the tender side of him could be gone in a flash. He could go from lover to killer, with shocking ease. 

“I’m not opposed to this being somethin’.” Rio told her, his hands finding their way to her hips. “But that doesn’t change the business side of this. You still work  _ for _ me.”

Beth’s lashes fluttered and she nodded. “I know.” Why would she have thought anything otherwise? Rio was still Rio afterall.

“Don’t think just cause we’re fuckin’, just cause you’re havin’ my kid…” Rio leaned in to brush his lips over hers. “It doesn’t  _ change _ anything.”

Beth curled her fingers around the back of his neck, leaning up to kiss him. “Are we  _ fuckin’ _ ?” She questioned, imitating his voice.

“I think we  _ should _ .” Rio drawled out as he took a step forward and she took a step backwards. “What d’you want?”

“You.” Beth breathed out, taking a step backwards, her fingers gripping at his shirt, drawing him towards the bed. 

Rio’s mouth slanted over hers, his tongue invading her mouth as he guided her back onto the bed. He curled his hand around her hip as she curled her leg around him, trying to get him closer.

Beth started tugging at the buttons of his shirt, working to get it off his shoulders. She ran her hand over his bared skin, groaning against his lips as she shifted to help him pull her underwear down her thighs. 

Rio trailed his mouth from her lips, along her jaw and down her throat. “ _ Elizabeth _ .” He rasped out, his lips close to her ear. 

Beth’s hands moved to unbuckle his belt, her fingers fumbling with the zipper and the button. They weren’t even going to get  _ undressed  _ were they? Her dress was rucked up around her waist, his fingers brushing over her slick center. She shoved his jeans down his hips and then his boxers. 

Rio was pressing into her within a single breath. Beth cried out softly, her nails scraping down his back as he drew out and pressed back into her. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his breath hot against her skin.

It reminded her of  _ that  _ night in the bar. The way their bodies melded together, the way they moved as one. And  _ God _ — the way he filled her. Mind blowing was putting it lightly. But after twenty years of bad sex with Dean, she didn’t exactly have much to compare it to. 

He slipped his hand down between them, his fingers brushing over her clit as he pumped into her. Beth turned her head, catching his lips, wanting this to be  _ different _ than the bathroom. Different than just getting off. 

Rio groaned against her lips, lifting his freehand to cradle her cheek, giving her so much  _ more _ than before. They had kissed a half dozen times since that night, but they hadn’t kissed  _ that  _ night — the night that had started it all. 

Beth got lost in the kiss, dizzy with desire as he picked up the pace of his thrusts, driving into her again and again. She was close. Right on the edge of her release. Her inner walls started to flutter around him, trying to keep him there. 

Rio’s thumb circled her clit, getting her there that much faster. Her back bowed up off the bed as she clenched around him, pleasure coursing through her veins. She grasped at his shoulders, at his arms, seeking purchase in something. 

He was right behind her. One, two, three more thrusts of his hips and then he went rigid above her, his cock buried deep within her as his release spilled into her. 

Beth laughed breathlessly as she broke away from his lips, trying to catch her breath. In the back of her mind she wondered if she should’ve kept that barrier between them. If it was a one time thing, no one would get hurt. She wouldn’t get hurt. The kisses and hand holding could’ve been brushed aside as awkward intimacy, fueled by the fact she was having  _ his _ baby. But this wasn’t that. 

Rio pulled out of her, before he moved to lay on his stomach beside her. He rested his hand on her belly, his fingers fanning out over her skin. 

“Changes nothing, right?” Beth whispered, turning her head to face him, making note of the expression on his face. 

“ _ Right _ .” Rio nodded with a soft smile, his fingers rubbing over her skin. 

Rio was still beside her when the sun replaced the streetlight streaming through her curtains. 

* * *

At twenty three weeks, she couldn’t keep pretending that she’d just packed on a few pounds ahead of winter. It was too cold to keep wearing dresses and she loathed the idea of wearing tights all day to sit at the dealership. So she unpacked the maternity pants she’d worn with Emma and went ahead and bit the bullet. The office knew she was trying to negotiate a divorce with Dean — and they knew that her devilishly handsome business partner spent more than purely  _ business _ time with her.

Beth’s brows knit together as she caught sight of Rio strolling through the dealership with a look that could kill plastered to his face. He headed straight for her office, pushing open the door and entering. “We’ve got trouble.”

Beth rubbed at her temples. “I didn’t sleep well last night, I can’t do trouble right now.” She told him, leaning back in her office chair. “Can it wait?”

“ _ No _ .” He gritted out and dropped a document on the desk in front of her. 

She leaned forward, picking the stack of legal papers up with a frown. “Did Gretchen give this to you?” Beth questioned as she scanned over the divorce papers. “What’s the problem?”

“ _ Custody _ .”

Her heart sank and she flipped through a few pages until she reached the paragraph about her joint custody with Dean. “Client agrees to joint custody for following children: Kenneth Boland, Daniel Boland, Jane Boland, Emma Boland, and Unborn Baby Boland.” She looked up at Rio. “He  _ can’t  _ do this.”

“Legally he can.” Rio clenched his jaw. “Gretchen said there ain’t much we can do until the baby’s born.”

“What can he do?” Beth questioned as she sat the papers down on her desk, “This is bullshit.” She raked her hand over her face, sinking back in the chair. “We’ll file for a paternity test.”

Rio sniffed and looked away from her, “He  _ can _ keep me out of the room.” 

“I won’t let him.” Beth insisted. “He can’t keep you out of the room, when I don’t want  _ him _ there.”

“Michigan doesn’t give a fuck, Beth.” Rio snapped, his hands coming down on the desk with a loud  _ smack _ . “I’m  _ fucked _ .”

Beth swallowed thickly, “I’ll talk to him.”

He shook his head. “This is  _ bullshit _ .”

She leaned forward, picking her office phone off the cradle and dialing Dean’s number. Beth switched it onto speaker phone as he picked up. 

“Hello?”

“I just got ahold of the paperwork you filed with my lawyer.”

“Sounds good, right? Nice and reasonable.”

“ _ Dean _ .” Beth sighed, shooting Rio a look. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what.”

“The baby, Dean. Why are you trying to act like it’s yours?”

He laughed sharply, “Because my lawyer told me I should. How am I supposed to know whether or not it’s mine?”

Beth held up her hand to keep Rio from interjecting. “Considering this pregnancy hasn’t been going on for the past  _ five  _ years, I think it’s pretty easy to rule you out as the father Dean.”

“I’m just following my lawyer’s guidance.” Dean answered. “When the baby’s born, you can file for a paternity test.”

“Or you could just relinquish whatever custody you think you have over it and let this go.” Beth countered, her hand going to instinctively touch her stomach. “You  _ know  _ the baby isn’t yours.”

“I don’t care. You’re  _ my _ wife. That baby is  _ mine _ .”

Rio moved faster than Beth could stop him, snatching the phone off her desk, shutting off the speaker phone. “Listen here,  _ carman _ . If you know what’s good for you, you’re gonna drop this. Get your little lawyer man to drop this shit, or you’re gonna regret it.” There was a pause and Rio chuckled darkly. “Yea, go ahead and test your luck. I don’t miss twice.” He passed the phone back to her. “He hung up.”

“I can’t imagine why.” Beth put the phone back on the cradle. “You can’t start making threats against him, Rio. You  _ can’t _ .” She stood up, her hand resting on her belly as she walked around the desk. “He can use that against us.”

“This baby’s  _ mine _ .” Rio gritted out, moving towards her. He reached out to touch her stomach, his gaze meeting hers with an intensity that made a chill run down her spine. “He can’t take this away from me.”

“He’s not going to.” Beth shook her head, placing her hand over his. “We’ll fight this. Get Gretchen on it.”

Rio pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek, “Gretchen can’t do anything, Elizabeth.” He looked down at her stomach. “It’s  _ his _ right.”

“I’ll talk to him again.” Beth whispered, reaching up to brush her fingers over the light scruff on his cheek, leaning up to kiss him. “I’ll try to get him to change his mind.”

Rio pressed his forehead against hers. “He’s tryin’ to punish me.  _ Us _ .” He brushed his fingers over her stomach gently. 

“Dean is a petty man.” Beth swallowed thickly, trying to tamp back an emotion that rising up in the back of throat. “But I won’t let him do this. I promise.” 

How had she  _ not _ seen this coming? Dean was just the sort of man that would stoop this low. The baby was Rio’s, there was no doubt of that — but Dean would try to ruin it. For his own ego’s sake.

* * *

“Just tell me  _ when _ it happened.” Dean said, curling his fingers around the coffee cup as he sat across from Beth at the kitchen table. “Don’t I deserve to know?”

Beth’s blinked at him, her pulse thumping in her ears. “The night I took you out to dinner.” She swallowed thickly. “We went to the bar afterwards and…”

“And  _ what _ ?”

“Do you  _ really _ want to know?” Beth questioned, her brows drawn together. 

“I have a right to know.”

“Bathroom at the bar while you bitched about the waiter not bringing your check.”

Dean looked like he was going to be sick. “You  _ fucked _ him in a bathroom at a bar? Who the hell are you?” He shook his head. “That’s disgusting.”

Beth glared at him. “Oh,  _ please _ . Like you weren’t fucking your barely legal secretary at the dealership.”

“That was different!” Dean snapped. “Why did you it?”

“Because I  _ needed _ something I wasn’t going to get anywhere else.” Beth gritted her teeth. “And you couldn’t even tell. That’s how little you knew your wife.” She told him, dropping her voice low. “I came back to the table, having just had the best sex of my life and you didn’t bat an eye.”

“How was I supposed to know?” 

Beth shook her head, letting out a puff of laughter. “You’re right. How  _ would _ you know what a satisfied woman looked like?”

Dean sat his coffee mug down with a loud  _ clank _ against the counter. “Are you still fucking him?”

“That’s none of your business.” Beth said sharply, “None of this is your business.”

“You’re still  _ my _ wife.” Dean slapped his hand against the counter then, his anger rising. “I can forgive you.”

“I don’t want you to forgive me.” Beth made a face. “I don’t want to be married to you.” 

“Why?”

She raked her hand over her face. “Because I don’t love you anymore Dean. I barely tolerate you.”

“Do you  _ love  _ him?”

“I care about him.” Beth countered. Neither of them had reached a place where  _ love _ had entered the equation. They were treading a thin line. Rio was dead set on keeping the business and personal sides of things separate. 

“He’s a criminal, Bethie! A  _ criminal _ .” Dean raked his hands over his face. “We can get past this.”

“No, we  _ can’t _ .” Beth said firmly, her hand moving to her stomach. “Look, I just want you to get your lawyer to fix the document. This baby is Rio’s… not yours. I don’t care what Michigan says, but I need you to relinquish parental rights.”

“If he can take  _ you _ away from me, I want to take away something he cares about.” Dean said as he got up from the stool. “If he wants to prove paternity, he can take me to court and get a DNA test done.”

“Why are you doing this, Dean?” Beth questioned, trying to push back the threat of tears she felt stinging her eyes. She wouldn’t give Dean that.

“I want him to hurt.” Dean shook his head. “And my lawyer advised me to stick to my  _ rights. _ ”

“So you’re going to try to claim another man’s child?” Beth looked at him with utter disgust. “I didn’t know you’d stoop that low, Dean.”

“You have no idea how low I’d stoop.” Dean countered, glaring at her. “I can be _bad_ too.”

“What does that mean?” Beth’s brows knit together. 

“Give the kids a kiss goodnight for me.” Dean said, turning his back on her then. Beth didn’t go after him as he headed for the door. 

* * *

“Rio.” Beth whispered, nudging his back as he slept beside her. “Rio, wake up.” She shook his arm and he jerked awake. 

“What?” He questioned, moving like he meant to get out of the bed, fully alert and ready. “What is it?”

“The baby’s kicking.” Beth told him softly, reaching for his hand and guiding it to her stomach where she could feel the baby’s little foot or hand pressing against her. “ _ Feel _ .”

Rio softened, relaxing back onto the bed as he rubbed his hand over the spot. “Someone’s gonna be a soccer player.” He quipped, laughing as the baby’s foot pressed against his palm. 

Beth smiled as she watched him move down the bed, replacing his hand with a tender kiss to her stomach. “A night owl too. So much movement at night.” She had been waiting for a night where Rio actually  _ stayed _ the night to have a moment like this with him. 

Rio ran his hand over the curve of her stomach, keeping his lips pressed against the fabric of her pajamas. “You keepin’ mama up at night? That’s my job.”

Beth laughed softly, feeling the baby kick in the direction of Rio’s voice. “Keep talking.” She told him, smoothing her hand over her stomach.

Rio hummed contentedly. “You know I love you, right?” He questioned the baby, pressing his lips against her stomach again. She knew he was talking to the baby and not to her, which made the rush of emotions that surged through her that much  _ worse. _

Beth wiped at her face hastily, trying to wipe away the tears before Rio realized she was crying. But he  _ did _ notice. She felt the bed shift as he moved back up the bed. “I’m fine.” She told him, sniffling softy. 

“Yea, ‘cause people cry when they’re fine.” He touched her chin, urging her to turn to face him. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s stupid.” Beth assured him, wiping away another stray tear. “I’m tired and hormonal.” 

“ _ Elizabeth _ .”

Beth met his gaze, “It's really nothing.”

“I don’t believe you.” Rio cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb over the rise of her cheekbone. 

She blinked back a new surge of tears. “I’m just tired.” Beth tried again, but Rio wasn’t accepting it. “Do you love  _ me _ ?” 

Rio stared at her, his thumb still brushing over her skin. “I thought we agreed not to make this serious.”

Beth’s heart sank. “I know. I  _ know _ .” She pulled away from him. “It’s just hormones.” 

“ _ Hey _ ,” Rio shifted closer to her, his eyes flickering over her face in the darkness. “You wanna know about my feelings?”

“Just forget it, Rio.” Beth told him, lifting her hand to touch his face. “It’s stupid. I know what we said when all this started. You said that just because I’m having your baby and we’re occasionally  _ fuck _ -“

Rio kissed her, silencing her words. She hesitated at first, but sank into the moment, letting him guide the kiss. 

Beth pulled back to catch a breath, her eyes falling closed as Rio pressed his forehead against hers. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t give a shit, Elizabeth. If I didn’t  _ love  _ you.”

She swallowed thickly and felt a new rush of tears slip down her cheek. “Business can still be  _ business _ . The lines were already blurred.” 

“You ain’t gonna say it back?” He drawled out, stealing another kiss. 

Beth cupped his face between her hands. “I love you.” Against better judgement, too. She knew the only reason they were even in the position to admit those feelings, was because they had been fascinated with each other. A fascination that had led to a happy little mistake. And maybe it wasn’t forever, but it was for right now. 

* * *

Rio reached for Beth’s hand, lacing their fingers together as the doctor started moving the ultrasound device over Beth’s stomach. The sound of their baby’s heartbeat came across the monitor and they both laughed as they watched their baby wiggling around on the screen. 

“So, what made you change your minds?” The doctor questioned as she adjusted the screen so they could both see it more comfortably. “You said you both had children from previous relationships?”

Beth nodded, “I have four and he has one.” 

“Is it a girl?” Rio questioned, squeezing Beth’s hand a little tighter, his eyes glued to the screen. 

The doctor smiled at both of them, “It  _ is _ a girl.” 

“I knew it!” Rio turned to look at Beth, his eyes bright with that light that made her heart flutter. He was  _ so _ full of joy. “I told you it was gonna be a girl.”

Rio leaned down to press a quick kiss to Beth’s lips. “And everythin’ looks good?” He questioned the doctor. 

“Everything looks  _ very _ good.” The doctor answered, wiping the ultrasound gel off her belly. “Baby is growing at a good rate, right on schedule. Just keep your iron intake up. These next two months should sail right on by.”

Beth pulled her shirt down, “I had a c-section six years ago for my last baby.” She explained, “Do we want to schedule another one?” Beth wanted to know what to expect. Dean was still fighting her on the divorce and the last thing she wanted was to be groggy for the c-section and trying to mitigate disaster if Dean tried to keep Rio away. 

“Right now, I would like for you to consider a natural birth.” The doctor told Beth. “But I’m monitoring the situation. If the baby moves at all, we’ll schedule you for a c-section as we get closer to your due date.” She picked up Beth’s chart and looked it over again. “At your age, there is an increased chance for complications, that might lead us to sending you for a c-section. But right now, things look good. Don’t worry about it.” 

Beth rubbed her hand over her stomach, feeling the baby start to kick again. “I really would like to avoid another c-section.” She said as she moved to stand up. “Nothing says  _ new mom _ quite like having your gut cut open.” Not to mention, she  _ still _ remembered how Dean treated her afterwards. There was a good reason Emma had been their last. 

Rio shook the doctor’s hand, thanking her, before he turned his attention back to Beth once the doctor had excused herself from the hospital room. “You worried about the delivery?” 

Beth tucked her hair behind her ears, picking her purse up off the counter. “I’ve read too much WebMD.” He caught her elbow and she turned back to look at him. She met his questioning gaze and sighed. “ _ What _ ? Do you want to hear all about my first c-section?”

“You don’t have to tell me shit if you don’t wanna tell me.” Rio shrugged a shoulder, sliding his hand from her elbow to her hand, curling his fingers around it. “Come on.”

Beth let him guide her out of the clinic, sitting down in the waiting room while she waited for him to pay for their visit. 

“Mrs. Boland?” 

Beth turned to look at a young blond woman sitting a few seats down from her. “Hey Katie.” She said as she forced a cheery smile. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing great!” The woman placed her hand on her stomach and practically beamed. “ _ Twins _ .” 

“You’re going to have your hands full.” Beth said with a chuckle, her own hand moving to her own stomach instinctively. 

“Is this five for you and Dean?” Katie questioned. 

Beth opened her mouth to answer, but Rio returned. He always had this innate skill of showing up for the  _ perfect _ moment. “You ready, mama?” Rio questioned as he squeezed her shoulder, rubbing his thumb against her shoulder. 

Katie looked dumbfounded, looking in between the two of them. “You’re not Mr. Boland.” 

Rio arched a brow and looked down at Beth quizzically. “I sure as hell ain’t.” He remarked as he looked at the blonde. “And you are?”

Beth placed her hand over Rio’s on her shoulder. “Katie worked at the dealership about three years ago, right?”

“Almost four years ago now.” Katie said with a nod, looking between Beth and Rio. “Is this your…”

“This is Rio, he’s my...  _ partner _ .” Beth said simply. 

Rio released his hold on her shoulder, crossing his arms across his chest. “Yea,  _ partner _ .” He could go for calm and collected to this side of violence too quickly.

“That’s so nice of you to drive your partner to her doctor’s appointment.” Katie said with a cheery smile. “I  _ hate _ driving like this.” She gestured to her stomach. “I don’t want to keep you. Please say hello to Mr. Boland for me.” 

Beth swallowed the words her tongue was tripping over. How did you explain in so little words that you were divorcing your piece of shit husband (who had  _ definitely _ slept with Katie) and were having a baby with a gangbanger? Was there even a greeting card for  _ that _ ? “I will.” She said with a short nod before she got up. 

Rio didn’t speak until they were in the elevator and  _ alone _ . “Say hello to  _ Mr. Boland _ for me.” He mocked bitterly, leaning back against the wall, his chin jutted towards the ceiling. “Fucking bullshit, Beth.” 

“What was I supposed to say?” Beth snapped, not willing to let him win this one. “I don’t need the whole waiting room hearing  _ my _ business.”

“ _ Our _ business.” He countered, turning to look at her. “Even the goddamn clinic ain’t sacred.” 

Beth rolled her eyes. “Do you have to be so fucking dramatic? All the time? It’s  _ exhausting _ .” 

“You don’t get it, Beth.” Rio pushed off the wall. “The clinic’s  _ my _ place. They call me the father. They don’t pull the shit that Dean’s trying. We both know he’s gonna pull shit, Elizabeth.” He caught her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. “He’s gonna keep me outta that room. Pull his parental right bullshit and I’m gonna be left sitting in the waiting room, hoping I get a  _ glimpse _ of my baby girl.” 

Beth squeezed his hand tightly, “I don’t give a shit what parental right he tries to flex. He can shove that up his ass, Rio. I’m the one that’s  _ having _ the baby. I get to decide who is in the room.”

“Baby Girl Boland, right?” He scoffed, prying his hand out of her grasp then. “And  _ partner _ ?” 

“We haven’t labelled this.” Beth reminded him. “We said a few words a month ago, but we didn’t slap a label on this.” She grimaced as the elevator door opened and a man stepped inside, looking between the two of them before he turned his back and stared at the doors.

Rio leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms across his chest, his eyes flickering towards her. He looked  _ wounded _ and it made Beth’s heart ache. What was she supposed to do? She had been caught completely off guard by Katie.  _ Partner  _ had made the most sense. It wasn’t her fault that Katie had mistaken that to mean her business partner and not the father of her child. 

The man got off on the next floor, leaving the two of them alone again. 

“I don’t want to fight with you.” Beth said quietly.

Rio sniffed, “We ain’t fighting.” 

“We  _ are _ .” Beth rolled her eyes. “What do you want me to call us, Rio? I don’t know what we even are.” 

Rio pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek, his brows furrowed together. “This is our floor.” He said as the elevator doors opened and they both stepped off. They were silent as they walked to the garage, before Rio stopped just short of their car. “I hate this shit, baby. I hate that this one fuckin’ thing can’t just be  _ mine _ .”

“I know,” Beth said gently, reaching out to touch his cheek. “Katie caught me off guard. She’s one of the women Dean cheated on me with and all of that came back in that moment and I just wanted to save face. To feel like  _ everything _ was good.” She rubbed her thumb over his scruffy cheek. “What do you want me to call you?”

“I don’t know.” Rio sniffed, rubbing his lips together. “Partner ain’t the worst word.”

“You’ve been more of a partner than Dean ever was as a husband.” Beth told him honestly. “He  _ never _ wanted to come to doctor’s appointments. Hell, he spent the entire time on his phone when Jane was born.” She sighed, her hand resting on her stomach. “Trust me, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” 

“Yea, yea, yea. I know.” He sighed, placing his hand on her stomach over her hand. “We’ve got somethin’ good going.” 

“We do.” Beth smiled up at him. “I meant what I said before. I know this is complicated and it’ll never be  _ perfect _ , but I do love you.” 

Rio’s lips twitched upwards with a smile of his own. “Yea, I’m pretty partial to you too.” He drawled out, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. “I love  _ you _ .” 

* * *

“What are you doin’ up?” Rio questioned as he leaned against the threshold of Beth’s office door. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”

“I got Ruby to pick me up.” Beth told him with a shrug. “I’ve been trapped in bed for the past week and I couldn’t take it anymore.” 

Rio stepped into the office and shut the door behind him, “What about your blood pressure?” 

Beth pressed her lips together and gave him a look. “Laying in bed for another day was going to cause my blood pressure to go up.” She rolled her eyes. “I was going crazy laying there. There’s only so many episodes of  _ Judge Judy _ you can watch.” Her brows knit together. “How’d you know I was here?”

“ _ Ruby _ .” Rio retorted as he moved to sit down in the seat across from her. “She lemme know we had an escapee.” He smiled at her a little. “You look good.” 

Beth rubbed a hand over her stomach. “I look like I’m about to  _ pop _ .” She leaned back in her office chair. “These last two weeks can’t come fast enough.”

“You gettin’ nervous?” Rio questioned with an arched brow as he steepled his fingers. 

She stared at him for a long moment before she nodded her head. “A little.” Beth admitted. “I’m worrying about what Dean will do…. Whether I’ll end up having another c-section.” She sighed heavily. “What happens with you and me.”

Rio’s brows drew together. “What d’you mean?” 

Beth chewed on her bottom lip, “It was something Annie said yesterday.” She started, her gaze flickering downwards to her desk. “She’s good at planting little seeds of doubt.”

Rio leaned forward, “What did she say?”

“It’s stupid.”

“It ain’t stupid if you’re worryin’ about it, Elizabeth.” 

Beth sighed heavily, rubbing her hand over her stomach as she felt the baby kicking. “To make a long story short, she told me not to get used to having you around. She basically thinks that once our baby is born, you’ll bounce. Do your fatherly duties when it’s your weekend… I get where she’s coming from because of Gregg, but…” 

“ _ Nah _ ,” Rio shook his head. “I ain’t gonna bounce. We’ve got somethin’  _ good _ Elizabeth.”

“We’ve got something that you told me from the  _ start _ wasn’t going to change anything.” Beth reminded him, biting down on her bottom lip as she stared at him. “I mean, is  _ this _ going to last after our daughter’s born?”

“We make a good team, baby. I’m not lookin’ at bringing that to an end.” Rio told her honestly, cocking his head to the side. “I ain’t lookin’ to bring any of this to an end.” 

“Did you ever tell Marcus’ mother that?” Beth questioned quietly.  _ God _ , she wished she hadn’t listened to Annie. 

Rio’s expression fell. “No. ‘Cause that wasn’t like  _ this _ .” 

“You said it yourself, Marcus wasn’t  _ planned _ either.” Beth pressed, her eyes never leaving his face. “It’s okay, Rio.”

“Nah,” He pursed his lips and shook his head. “I told you from the start that we’d do this  _ together _ and I fuckin’ meant it, Elizabeth.” Rio rose to his feet then, moving around the desk so he was standing beside her. He crouched beside her, resting his hand over hers on arm of the chair. “I ain’t going anywhere.” 

Maybe there was hope for them after all. 

* * *

“You’re doin’ incredible, baby.” Rio assured her as he leaned forward to take her hand as she grimaced through another contraction. 

The nurse stepped into the room, checking her vitals for what felt like the  _ hundredth  _ time since she’d been admitted. “How are you feeling Mrs. Boland?” The nurse questioned, glancing down at the chart in her hands.

Beth noted the way Rio’s jaw clenched, but he quickly pushed aside his annoyance. “Exhausted already.” She replied. “How is everything looking?”

“Things are moving along. The doctor should be back soon to check on baby’s position.” The nurse assured her, checking the IV drip before leaving the room. 

“ _ Mrs. Boland _ .” Rio mocked. “Didn’t you ask her to call you Beth?”

“They’re just trying to be formal.” Beth assured him, letting out a shaky sigh as she shifted and tried to get comfortable. “I’m more concerned with whether I’m going to have a c-section.”

“I know.” Rio clicked his tongue against his teeth and shook his head, “Shit just gets under my skin.” He met her eyes. “The doc already said things were moving along.”

Beth pressed her hand against her stomach and let out a pained sound. “Things went well for Emma too… then they went bad fast.” She explained, shifting again, trying to get comfortable. 

“Do you need somethin’?” Rio questioned.

She shook her head, “No. No.” Beth reached for his hand and squeezed tightly. “It’s impossible to get comfortable like this.”

A knock at the door silenced Rio. A woman in a nice business suit stepped inside. “Mrs. Boland?”

“Yes.” Beth answered, her brows drawn together with worry. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m Bridget Clearwater, with Social Work.” The woman said as she stepped further into the room, holding her hand out to shake Beth’s hand. 

Beth paled, “Social Work?”

“No reason to be alarmed.” Bridget assured her, her gaze flickering warily towards Rio as he stiffened. “We’re just going to go over your next of kin, in the event that something were to happen.”

She swallowed thickly, “Right. High risk pregnancy.” Beth turned to look at Rio, trying to calm him without words. “My emergency contacts have changed since the last time.”

“I see,” Bridget said with a nod, opening the file she held. “So Dean Boland is no longer an emergency contact?”

Beth shook her head, “No. Rio is.” She gestured to him, “He can provide you with all of his information.”

“I was informed that you’re going through a divorce?” She questioned with an arched brow, looking between Rio and Beth then. 

Rio sank back in his seat, raking his hand over his face as he looked away then. “For fuck’s sake.” He hissed out.

“We deal with situations like this quite often,” Bridget informed Beth. “It’s typical to move on and—“

“Look, aren’t you supposed to be a patient advocate?” Beth accused. “So why are you sniffing around for Dean?”

“Mr. Boland was notified by the hospital that his wife had been admitted to the hospital. Due to the nature of the situation he  _ did _ approach social services.” Bridget glanced at Rio. 

“My  _ husband _ is not the father of the baby.” Beth informed the social worker, her expression pained as she felt another contraction about to overtake her. “ _ Rio _ .”

Rio stood up abruptly, his shoulders pitched forward in away in sharp contrast to his usual casual annoyance. “We ain’t interested in whatever bullshit your gonna peddle. That piece of shit you keep callin’ her  _ husband _ won’t sign the divorce papers. He’s held her hostage for the sake of his ego. The kid is mine and what you’re doin’ is causing her more stress. So if you’re really advocatin’ for the patient, you should  _ go _ . She don’t need this stress.” He squares off with Bridget, invading her personal space. 

“Mr—”

“Nah, we ain’t playin’ this game.” Rio interrupted. “You’re gonna go back to  _ Mr. Boland  _ and tell him he can choke on his greasy little carman charms. If he ain’t giving birth, he don’t get to decide who’s in here.”

“I understand…” Bridget started, but clearly thought better of whatever she was going to say. 

Beth bit down on her bottom lip as she felt another contraction starting. “Just give her your contact information. Don’t start something.”

Rio backed down, turning to look at her then. “You okay?”

“Contraction.” Beth said through gritted teeth, pressing her hand against her stomach as she focused on breathing. 

“Give it,” Rio said as he took the paperwork from Bridget, filling it out before he shoved it back to her. “ _ Here _ .”

“Can you get me the ice chips?” Beth questioned, not quite able to reach where the cup had been sat down.

Rio forgot about Bridget, turning his attention back to Beth fully. “Here you are, baby.” He drawled out, passing her the cup and grabbing the damp cloth to wipe at her brow. “You’re doing  _ so _ good, Elizabeth.”

“I really was just trying to do what’s best for the pat—”

“ _ Go _ .” Beth and Rio both snapped in unison and Bridget scurried out of the hospital room, just as the doctor entered.

“Everything alright?” She questioned as she moved towards the counter to grab a pair of gloves, pulling them on as she looked towards Beth. 

Beth nodded her head, gripping at Rio’s hand tightly as she felt another contraction starting to ripple through her. “They’re getting closer.” 

“Let’s take a look.” The doctor said as she approached Beth, pulling the sheet that covered her to begin the examination. “It looks like we’re going to avoid a c-section.”

“Thank God.” She breathed out, letting her head rest back against the pillow. 

“You’re at about eight centimeters right now, so it’s only a matter of time.” The doctor assured her, pulling the sheet back down over her legs. “How’s mom feeling?”

“Tired.” Beth laughed breathlessly as Rio wiped at her brow again with the cloth. “But we’re in the homestretch, right?” 

The doctor nodded her head, “Almost there.” She checked Beth’s vitals, looking satisfied with what she saw. “You two will be probably be parents by noon.” And there was nothing Dean could do that would take that away from them.

* * *

Beth smiled affectionately as she watched Rio gently cradling their baby in his arms. For all of the violence that he was capable of, he was also capable of  _ so _ much tenderness. It made her heart feel full of love for him. “Are you warming up to the name Lucy?” 

Rio looked up at her with a smirk. “I think she  _ is _ a Lucy.” He remarked, his eyes drawn back to the tiny little human in his arms. “How are you feelin’, mama?”

“Still tired.” Beth quipped, shifting to reach for her cup of water. “And starving.” She added, resting back against the pillows behind her. “You can pick the middle name.” 

“What’s already used?” He questioned, looking at Beth then. 

“Elizabeth Grace, Emma Lynn, Jane Marie….” Beth rubbed at her forehead, “Annie’s Anne Margaret, Sadie’s  _ uh _ … Mae.” 

Rio chuckled, shaking his head. “We gotta get more creative with Lucy’s middle name then.” 

“What about family names?” Beth questioned, her brows drawn together as she looked at him. She knew  _ so _ little about his own family. 

“Lucy Isabella?” He questioned with an arched brow. 

“Who’s Isabella?” 

Rio scraped his teeth over his bottom lip. For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer her. At least maybe not truthfully. “Sister.” 

“ _ Oh _ ,” Beth smiled at him. “It’s beautiful.” She winced a little as she adjusted herself in the bed. “Lucy Isabella… It’s perfect.” She gestured for him to come closer. “She has your nose, you know.” 

“I noticed,” Rio smirked as he moved to pass her back to Beth. “But she’s got her mama’s good looks.” He told her, leaning in to press a kiss to her temple. “She’s all you and me.” 

Beth nodded as she looked down at Lucy, laughing as she curled her fingers around one of hers. “We made something amazing, Rio.” She lifted her gaze to meet his, “ _ He _ didn’t get to take this away from us.”

“Damned if he didn’t try.” Rio rolled his eyes, his jaw set hard at the mention of Dean. “Now we gotta fuck around with this AOP shit.”

“It’s going to work out, Rio.” Beth promised him, rocking Lucy gently as she fussed. “Thank you, again. I don’t know what that social worker thought she was doing but… you handled it for me.” 

Rio shrugged a shoulder, brushing his knuckles against her cheek. “I wasn’t about to let some bitch with a clipboard ruin today for us.” 

“Despite how exhausted and sore I am… today was perfect.” Beth said warmly, looking between Lucy in her arms and Rio beside her. For something that had started out so jagged and broken, it had come together into something beautiful and special. 

* * *

“You believe our baby’s almost three months old?” Rio remarked as he slid into bed beside her, tucking an arm behind his head as he stifled a yawn with his other hand. 

Beth scrunched up her nose. “That means it’s been a year since she happened.” Had a year really slipped by that quickly? This time last year, she was still suffering in a marriage she hated — trying to prove herself to Dean for  _ no _ reason. 

Rio chuckled, clicking his tongue against his teeth. “No shit.” He shook his head, before he turned his head to look at her. “Any regrets one year later?” He questioned, reaching out to brush his knuckles over her cheek.

Beth shook her head, her lips twitching at the corners as a smile spread across them. “Not a single one.” She told him, curling her fingers around his hand as she turned to press her lips against his palm. “Do you have any regrets?” 

“Nah.” Rio smirked, brushing his thumb over her bottom lip. He moved slowly, shifting so he could lean in to kiss her. The kiss was just as slow as his movements, a quiet sort of hesitancy that made Beth want to push for more. 

During the course of her pregnancy, Beth had been blunt with Rio about her frustrations with her previous pregnancies. There was a reason why Danny, Jane, and Emma were so close in age. Dean had been pushy to get back to their previous activities and being the woman her mother had raised, she’d gone along with it, despite her best interests. Rio had taken her stories to heart — keeping their interactions purely PG since Lucy’s birth. 

Rio pulled back, his eyes searching hers for a brief moment, before he moved to roll back onto his back. “We got that shipment comin’ in the morning.” He remarked, raking his hand over his face as he blew out a heavy breath. “We should sleep.” 

Beth bit down on her bottom lip, her brows drawn together as she watched him move to turn the light off. “ _ Rio _ .” She whispered, reaching out run her hand over his back as he stretched out on his side. 

“We gotta sleep, baby.” Rio stated, his voice coming out a little more strained as she ran her hand over his side. 

“Maybe I don’t want to sleep.” She said lowly, letting her lips brush against the back of his neck. Her hand slipped around to rest against his stomach, before she ghosted her hand lower. “I don’t think you want to sleep either.” Beth cupped him through his sleep pants, pressing her lips to the flat of his shoulder as she felt him tense in response. 

“ _ Elizabeth _ .” Rio hissed out, his fingers curling around her wrist. 

“It’s been  _ three _ months.” Beth reminded him, wiggling her arm out of his hold. “I want you.”

Rio groaned, holding himself rigid in an attempt to control himself. “But you said—”

Beth’s hand found his cock again, “I know what I said.” She pressed her lips against his shoulder as she slipped her hand under the waistband of his boxers, curling her fingers around the length of him. “I said I  _ want _ you.” Slowly she dragged her hand over him. “I  _ need _ you.”

Rio caught her hand, rolling over in one swift motion to face her in the darkness of their bedroom. “Thought you didn’t want to...” 

She stroked her fingers over his cheek as she shifted closer to him. “I have an IUD  _ and _ birth control this time. Our bases are covered.” Beth assured him, tilting her head to brush her lips against his. “I appreciate your concern.” 

He curled his hand around her hip, “I didn’t wanna push you.” Rio remarked as he leaned in to slant his mouth over hers, his tongue darting out between her lips. 

Beth sank into the kiss, her fingers curling around the back of his neck. She moaned softly against his lips, their tongues tangling together as she rolled them over, settling atop her.

Rio’s hands fumbled with her pajama top, working to peel the fabric off of her — only to be interrupted by the sound of Lucy fussing over the baby monitor.

Beth let out a breathy laugh as she moved out from under him. “I’ll get her back to sleep.” She told him as she moved to grab her housecoat, “Don’t go anywhere.”

It took longer than Beth had  _ hoped _ . By the time she got Lucy back to sleep, the sun was starting to rise above the horizon. It would only be a matter of an hour before she’d have to be up and getting the lunches ready for the kids to go to school. 

Rio was out cold when she returned to the bed. He had clearly tried to stay up, given the way he was propped up on the pillows with the light still on. But he was sound asleep and snoring lightly and Beth didn’t have the heart to wake him up. She laid her housecoat out on the foot of the bed and climbed back into the bed with a yawn. 

* * *

“ _ Hey _ ,” Beth’s brows rose upwards as she walked through the front door, carrying Lucy’s baby carrier, using her hip to bump the door closed behind her. “I thought you were going to the warehouse today.” She commented, looking at Rio where he was sitting on the stairs. 

“Yea, but then I rearranged my schedule.” He rolled his shoulder, rubbing his hands together as he raked his eyes over her. “Thought we could pick up where we left off this mornin’.” 

Beth inhaled sharply at his words, but turned her attention back to the carrier in her hand, “I need to put Lucy down for a nap.” 

“Let me,” Rio said as he rose to his feet, striding towards Beth and taking the carrier from her. “Meet you in the bedroom?” He questioned with an arched brow. 

“Okay.” Beth’s lashes fluttered as he leaned in to press a quick kiss to her lips. She watched him as he headed up the stairs with Lucy, before she removed her coat and hung it on the coat rack. 

She headed back to the bedroom, a knot of anxiety forming in the pit of her stomach. It had been _ over _ four months since they’d shared any sort of serious intimacy. In the last month or so of her pregnancy, sex had been the furthest thing on her mind. And now, with a three month old and a partner who hadn’t wanted to upset the balance between them — she was  _ nervous _ . It had been easy to initiate something in the early morning hours. Spontaneous, instead of planned. 

Beth was impressed with how quickly Rio had been able to get Lucy down for her nap. She only had to sit anxiously in the bedroom for half an hour, playing with her phone, before Rio joined her. She patted the bed beside her, watching him as he moved to sit down beside her. “I’ve been on edge all morning.” She admitted to him.

“Didn’t mean to fall asleep on ya,” Rio told her with a chuckle, reaching out to rest his hand on her leg, as he rubbed at the back of his neck with the other one. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Beth assured him, resting her hand over his as she turned to face him more. “We’ve both been worn ragged with Lucy and  _ everything _ .” She chewed on her bottom lip, holding his gaze. “But I need you.” 

Rio smirked at her words, lifting his hand to brush her hair off of her forehead. “Yeah?” Beth nodded her head and leaned towards him. Rio closed the distance, his mouth crashing against hers as they both fell backwards onto the bed. 

God was she glad she’d opted to wear a dress to drop the kids off. His hand slipped under the hem of the dress, curling around her hip as he moved over her. 

Beth curled her fingers around the side of his neck as she leaned up to meet his mouth, their tongues tangling together as he settled his weight between her thighs. She moaned against his lips as she felt the hard length of him grinding into her through the fabric of her underwear. 

Rio scraped his teeth over her bottom lip, his hands skimming along her legs as he pushed her dress up higher. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of her underwear, dragging them down her hips. She pulled back from the kiss, inhaling sharply as she looked up at him, shifting her hips up to help him rid her of her underwear. 

Her fingers worked loose the buttons of his shirt, her hands skimming over the bare skin of his chest as he pulled the shirt off and tossed it aside. Beth leaned up to catch his lips again as she slipped her hands lower and unbuckled his belt, dragging the zipper down and unbuttoning his pants. 

“ _ Rio _ .” Beth breathed out against his lips as she shoved his boxers down his hips. How had they tried to deny that this was something bigger than either of them?

“Need this off.” Rio muttered as he tugged at her dress, trying to get it off of her. Beth laughed softly and sat up, unzipping the side of the dress to get it off of her. He took the opportunity to climb off the bed to take his jeans and boxers off fully. 

Beth’s eyes raked over him, her tongue darting out to wet her lips as her gaze settled on his cock. She’d been thinking about it all morning. Rio approached the bed again, his hands moving to grip at her hips as he pulled them down to the edge of the bed, dropping to his knees before her. He clearly had other plans. 

He ran his hands along her legs as he drew them over his shoulders, lowering his mouth  _ just _ close enough to her cunt that his hot breath danced over her slick flesh. He took his time —  slowly leaning in to brush his lips over her folds, his tongue sweeping out between them to find that little bundle of nerves. He circled her clit, sucking gently at it and making her cry out softly. It had been too damn long.

Beth scraped her nails over the back of his head, her other hand gripping at the edge of the bed as he thrust his tongue into her. His fingers dug into the soft flesh of her thighs, holding her steady as he all but devoured her. She was helpless to hold back, her release crashing over her without much preamble. He didn’t relent, his tongue swirling around the bundle of nerves, pushing her towards a second release —  _  stopping _ just as she felt her inner walls starting to flutter again.

“Please.” Beth hissed out as she looked down at him. He looked  _ good _ between her thighs. His lips glistening with the slick of her arousal, his eyes hot with desire. He pressed feather-like kisses to her thighs, before trailing a row up her stomach as he stood up slowly. Her fingers curled around the back of his neck, dragging him down for a desperate kiss. Her tongue invaded his mouth, tasting herself on his lips and his tongue. 

Rio gripped at her hip tightly as he used his other hand to line himself up. She groaned against his lips as she felt the head of his cock pressing against her center. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he  _ finally _ filled her. “ _ Fuck _ .” He groaned against her lips as he drew back and thrust into her again. 

Beth rolled her hips to meet his thrusts, clinging to him desperately as he started to pick up the pace of his movements. They weren’t going to last long — she could feel how rigid he was holding himself, trying to keep the moment from being over too fast. “I love you.” She whispered as she pulled back from the kiss, drawing in a shaky breath as she looked up at him. 

Rio cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone as he leaned in to kiss her tenderly, in stark contrast with the sharp thrusts of his hips. “I love  _ you _ .” He mumbled against her lips.

Beth moaned as she felt her inner walls starting to clench around him, her back bowing up off the mattress as she clung to him. He picked up his pace, barely pulling out before he was driving back into her. Her release crested and he followed right behind her, his body tensing above hers as he came apart within her. 

Rio pressed his face into the crook of her neck as he settled atop her, his cock still buried within her as they came down from their high together. She brushed her lips against his throat, smoothing her hands down his back, keeping him close. 

“Are we still going to pretend…” Beth’s words trailed off and Rio shook his head as he pulled back to look down at her. Those three little words had been used so few and far between throughout their  _ not _ -relationship. 

Rio pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek, screwing his lips up as he chuckled softly. “We were lyin’ to ourselves.” 

“So this isn’t just an overly  _ friendly _ business partnership?” Beth teased lightly as she smirked at him. “Lucy being our business, I guess.” She brushed her thumb over his bottom lip, her eyes searching his. 

“Nah, baby.” Rio chuckled. “I don’t sleep in the same bed as my business partners  _ every _ night.”

“Only some nights?” Beth arched a brow, trying to look serious for a moment, but it dissolved into laughter. 

Rio dipped down to kiss her, scraping his teeth playfully over her bottom lip. “I think we’re gonna make this work, mama.” 

“We already are.” Beth quipped as she leaned up to kiss him again. Maybe it wouldn’t last forever, but maybe it would. 


End file.
